by our College Data Analytics Team
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Most Well Attended Geology Major” ranking.
In 2020-2021, 7,821 people earned their degree in geological and earth sciences, making the major the 95th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, geological and earth sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $38,705 and had an average of $23,383 in loans still to pay off.
For this year’s “Most Well Attended Geology Major” ranking, we looked at 576 colleges that offer a degree in geological and earth sciences. To top this list, a school must have a successful geological and earth sciences program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Geology Major” list to help you make the college decision.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Geology Major”.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Mississippi State University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Geology Major list. Mississippi State University is a large public school situated in Mississippi State, Mississippi. It awarded 181 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Mississippi State
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas A&M University - College Station. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Geology Major. Located in College Station, Texas, this large public school awarded 144 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Texas A&M College Station
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Geology Major. UW Seattle is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 127 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Geological & Earth Sciences Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Washington State University. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Geology Major. This large school is located in Pullman, Washington, and it awarded 130 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Houston. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Geology Major list. University of Houston is a public institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 102 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Stanford University ranked #6 on this year’s Most Well Attended Geology Major list. Stanford is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 100 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Stanford University
Southern New Hampshire University ranked #7 on this year’s Most Well Attended Geology Major list. This large school is located in Manchester, New Hampshire, and it awarded 79 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Southern New Hampshire University
With a ranking of #8, Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Geology Major list. Columbia is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 92 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
University of California - San Diego ranked #8 on this year’s Most Well Attended Geology Major list. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 75 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
University of North Carolina at Charlotte ranked #8 on this year’s Most Well Attended Geology Major list. Located in Charlotte, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 75 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of North Carolina at Charlotte
University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Geology Major ranking. This large school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 75 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Oregon State University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Geology Major ranking. This large school is located in Corvallis, Oregon, and it awarded 74 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full Oregon State University Geological & Earth Sciences Report
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Geology Major ranking. Louisiana State University is a public institution located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 72 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Louisiana State University
University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Geology Major ranking, coming in at #14. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 70 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - Irvine
With a ranking of #14, University of Arizona did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Geology Major list. Tucson, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 72 students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Full University of Arizona Geological & Earth Sciences Report
University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #16 on this year’s Most Well Attended Geology Major list. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 65 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UC Santa Cruz
University of Colorado Boulder ranked #17 on this year’s Most Well Attended Geology Major list. Boulder, Colorado is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 64 students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Colorado Boulder
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Geology Major ranking. U-M is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 62 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
University at Buffalo ranked #19 on this year’s Most Well Attended Geology Major list. This large school is located in Buffalo, New York, and it awarded 58 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University at Buffalo
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Geology Major ranking. Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania is a public institution located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 58 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Colorado School of Mines landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Geology Major ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Golden, Colorado, and it awarded 58 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Colorado School of Mines
Western Washington University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Geology Major ranking. Western Washington University is a public institution located in Bellingham, Washington. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 55 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Western Washington University Geological & Earth Sciences Report
With a ranking of #23, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Geology Major list. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 54 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin
University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #24 on this year’s Most Well Attended Geology Major list. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 53 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Binghamton University ranked #25 on this year’s Most Well Attended Geology Major list. Binghamton University is a fairly large public school situated in Vestal, New York. It awarded 51 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.
Full Binghamton University Geological & Earth Sciences Report
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | University of Nevada - Reno | Reno, NV |
| 51 | Florida State University | Tallahassee, FL |
| 51 | University of Hawaii at Manoa | Honolulu, HI |
| 51 | West Chester University of Pennsylvania | West Chester, PA |
| 55 | The University of Texas at Dallas | Richardson, TX |
| 55 | Brown University | Providence, RI |
| 55 | University of Southern Mississippi | Hattiesburg, MS |
| 55 | North Carolina State University | Raleigh, NC |
| 55 | University of Rhode Island | Kingston, RI |
| 55 | United States Naval Academy | Annapolis, MD |
| 61 | University of California - Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA |
| 61 | California Institute of Technology | Pasadena, CA |
| 61 | Western Michigan University | Kalamazoo, MI |
| 64 | University of Florida | Gainesville, FL |
| 64 | University of New Mexico - Main Campus | Albuquerque, NM |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 85 | Northern Arizona University | Flagstaff, AZ |
| 85 | Rice University | Houston, TX |
| 85 | Florida International University | Miami, FL |
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
